MESSRS EDITORS: A CHAPTER ON TEACHING. Let the interest I take in the education of my children, and the prosperity of our district school, suffice for an apology for requesting you to devote a page of your Philomathesian, which is much read in our neighborhood, to the following notice. The near approach of winter reminds us of our usual provisions for schooling our children. The very delicate and responsible duty of employing a teacher devolves upon myself; and, in compliance with custom, I shall make application at your Institution. And here I would offer a few suggestions, relative to the subject of school teaching. I once had the honor of being a schoolmaster, but this was in the "dark ages" of school keeping in New England. At the period when the Psalter, Testament and spelling-book were the only utensils with which the scholar was to cultivate his mind. When every exercise of the school-room was performed according to the strictest laws of mechanics; so much so, that the scholar might recite his quantity of lesson, as ignorant of its meaning as the common apprentice, with his square and compass employed upon a piece of frame work, is of the principles of Geometry. Then passable reading and writing, together with strength corporeal, sufficient for the dextrous dealing of the rod and ferule, were the requisite qualifications. One skilled in devising such modes of torture, as would cast the greatest dread upon his subjects, and thereby render his government more despotic, was thought to possess the "art of teaching"-young ideas how to shoot"? But happily for those who are yet to undergo the process of being schooled, a radical change is taking place in the system of teaching. This change is two fold, viz: in the government, and in the mode of instruction. Experiments have proved, with mathematical certainty, that blows inflicted upon the body are productive of no beneficial effect upon the mind; they may indeed, give a tension to the muscles of the bullock, but can never nerve the powers of intellect; they may exact the task from the slave, but cannot allure the child to letters. I once heard, (it may be dreamed,) that it was discovered, that the mind suffered an injury, proportional to the momentum of physical force applied to the body.-The frequen. cy of the application would of course come into the account. How the discovery was made, my limited knowledge of the intimate con'nection between mind and matter never helped me to determine; but the result I am not disposed to question. It may here be said, that the lash is not used as a mental stimulus, but to correct the obliquity of the moral conduct. Admitting this, (which is far from being true in all cases,) yet the effect in either case is the same. Quintilian says, if any child be of so disingenuous a nature, as not to stand corrected by reproof, he, like the very worst of slaves, will be hardened, even against blows themselves. But what shall be done with the dolts who infest our district schools, and often in such numbers that a master goes unarmed at the hazard of suffering the writ of habeas corpus? Why, to me it is a plain case, and the course is now pursued among us, that where such a nuisance exists, and the individual baffles all the skill of a skillful teacher to interest him in study, (for here lies the secret of school government,) he shoud be taken from the school by the committee, and deposited in the hands of his parent or guardian, where he could no longer act the part of the "dog in the manger," which would neither eat himself nor suffer the ox. To reform such an one, by the application of blows, is like killing a sick man to cure his disease. I would by no means object to the teacher suitably treating im perfections in the scholar; and he may in some cases use the rod to advantage. For to take away this prerogative of the teacher would ruin our schools. From the nature of his situation, he must be invested with authority, limited by no rules; or rather he should possess all the authority, that is, the pupil should have none. Hence some empowered with that, which they had no discretion to use, have undertaken to improve the character, and instruct the mind of a child, by the same process as the hewer of stone converts the shapeless marble into the proportioned column. Those who instruct children and youth should remember that they deal not with senseless matter, but with perceptive beings, upon whom every look, word and action have an influence, secret it may be, yet no less powerful. They should feel that they are dropping seed upon untainted soil, and they are answerable for the fruit of maturer years. The child receives impressions from the disposition of the teacher which go with him long after the dull lessons of the school-room quit his memory. The notions of right and wrong, ef virtue D and vice, implanted in his flexible mind, lead to that complex for mation to which we give the name of character; and this combina tion of traits makes up the MAN. Is it then a matter of indifference of what character these notions and impressions are? I well recol lect how my feelings have been embittered by the treatment of an aristocratic schoolmaster, while under the penalty of some slight boyism, of which a pleasant reproof would have made me ashamed, And one who has watched the workings of his nature must know how reckless he is at such a time, of any valuable improvement, and much more of committing a lesson, as unmeaning to him as so many words would be, thrown together in any other shape. When thinking of the nice treatment, which the tender inclinations of childhood require; and knowing that the least crook in the twig oc casions great irregularity in the tree, I have thought to adopt the plan of the Romans, and leave the culture of my children to no one but myself. I have seen the most excellent natures soured by indiscreet management. I have seen the bud, which had in it all the rudiments of future beauty, just as it began to blossom, withered by the rude tempest. I speak of this for the reason that teachers have rather assumed the position, that they had nothing to do with the dispositions of their scholars-the improvement of the character was without their province. Than which there is no greater error in common education. The change taking place in the system of instruction, I look upon as one of the most valuable advancements in human wisdom. Woodbridge, Holbrook and others, who have labored to improve this system, are deserving of more praise than the improvers of the steam-engine, rail-roads and canals, inasmuch as these have only aided physical force, while those have relieved mental drudgery. One improvement spares the brute, the other blesses the man. Would you view this change in the light in which I view it, call to mind with me the many six-hours which we have been confined in the school room, and which we passed almost as destitute of mental operations, as the benches upon which we lounged. Think with what impatience, or rather aversion we engaged in any exercise; and how our countenances beamed gladness only when our task was over. Then ask why this stupidity? this want of interest in pursuits which in themselves are so highly interesting? The answer is, we could not understand what we studied; and if the master attempted an explanation, it was often more blind to us than the text itself. The books were poorly adapted to our capacities; and the What notions, if any, did we correctly, from the old spelling mode of instruction much more so. get of reading, writing and spelling, book theories, with which we had to burden our memories, or be flogged?—an alternative we most frequently preferred. And so mechanically was every exercise performed,that the inventive, thinking powers were not called into exercise; and with the exception of some few, whom nature had given more than common acuteness of perception, scholars never dared deviate from the exact words of the Author, lest they should fail to express his idea. I have written more than I designed upon the manner in which our common schools were formerly conducted. And is there not too much of the old method still in existence? Many of our teachers are yet disposed to go over the duties of the school in too formal and superficial a manner: either from want of suitable books and apparatus to make the exercises interesting, or from lack of personal qualification. Whatever the difficulty is, there can and should be a speedy remedy. But knowing that your paper requires productions of a more literary character, I conclude with an assurance that nothing on our part shall be wanting to second the efforts of a judicious instructor. If f you can aid me in procuring one who has judgment to retain whatever is valuable in the old, and energy to adopt whatever is worthy in the new measures of instruction, whose rule shall be of reason and love, at the same time that it is firm and unbending, he shall find among us a welcome and a reward. Yours &c. M. *. The Hermethenean. We have received the first Number of a periodical with the above title, published by an Association in Washington College, Conn. Its execution is elegant, and many of its pages manifest ability, and are full of interest. We greet with fraternal feeling the appearance of this new work, and the more warmly, that we are not strangeis to the embarrassments of such an undertaking. We believe that the publication of such a work will prove a source of improvement to its supporters, and exert a happy influence. With no disposition to criticise, we think some articles of more considerable length would possess greater interest and value. THE UNWELCOME VISIT. A RURAL SCENE. THE HONEYSUCKLE AND WATERDROP. Honeysuckle peeping from beneath an overhanging willow, viewing the first gleamings of morning light. HONEYSUCKLE, (alone.) Yes, the gloomy mists are fast dispersing, Their pipes; some shrill, some sharp, some softly toned. How gently, as it passes by, it fans My face-Its breath, so sweet, exhilarates And so enlivens me, I'm all entranced, Wrought up to ecstacy. Oh! that its flow, These tender leaves-alas, too much expanded, Waterdrop.-(Suspending himself from an overhanging leaf.) My bonry lass, why these sad fears? Perhaps And who are you, that thus obtrude yourself Waterdrop.-A Waterdrop-may't please your modesty, Waterdrop.-My origin is long to trace, remote Through countless ages. My birth unknown. In dashing waves, o'er all the embodied earth. |